Saturday 27 February 2010

In My Mailbox (22)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. Check out her awesome YA reviews.

I got a few this week.

For Review:


The Red Necklace by Sally GardnerThe Red Necklace by Sally Gardner (Sorry about image size)

The story of a remarkable boy called Yann Margoza; Tetu the dwarf, his friend and mentor; Sido, unloved daughter of a foolish Marquis; and Count Kalliovski, Grand Master of a secret society, who has half the aristocracy in thrall to him, and wants Yann dead. Yann is spirited away to London but three years later, when Paris is gripped by the bloody horrors of the Revolution, he returns, charged with two missions: to find out Kalliovski's darkest deeds and to save Sido from the guillotine. With a tangle of secrets, a thread of magic and a touch of humour, the follies of the aristocracy and the sufferings of ordinary people are unfolded as their lives move relentlessly towards the tragic and horrific days of the Terror. THE RED NECKLACE is not only a tremendous adventure story but a vibrant and passionate picture of Paris in turmoil and of a large cast of memorable characters. From Amazon UK

The Silver Blade by Sally GardnerThe Silver Blade by Sally Gardner (Sorry about image size)

With Sido safely in England and the Terror at its height, Yann returns to France to smuggle out aristocratic refugees who will otherwise face the guillotine. But when Sido is kidnapped, he must use all his strength and courage to outwit the evil Count Kalliovski, and rescue her for a second time. Set against a vivid historical background, prize winning author Sally Gardner brings to life the horrors of the French Revolution in this breath-taking adventure, complete with intrepid heroism and a touching love story. From Amazon UK


Savannah Grey by Cliff McNishSavannah Grey by Cliff McNish

It's a difficult time for fifteen-year-old Savannah Grey - she's settled into her latest foster placement, but her body is acting strangely. Then other strange things begin to happen: nature, it seems, is exerting an overpowering force on the world. Birds behave erratically; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away. And Savannah discovers she has supernatural powers. Meanwhile, she feels drawn to the new boy Reece whose life is even stranger than hers. Quickly Savannah and Reece realise that nature has a purpose for them both. For they are on course to meet the vile and evil Ocrassa, who wants to destroy the world by corrupting nature. And it wants Savannah Grey to help realise its savage intent. From Amazon UK


City of Ghosts by Bali RaiCity of Ghosts by Bali Rai (Cover is for hardback, not paperback - but similar)

It's 1919 and Amritsar is a city on the brink of rebellion. Riots, violence and tension spill onto the streets ...Bissen Singh fought bravely for the British Empire during World War One. Now he waits patiently for news from England. Gurdial, a young orphan, is desperate to marry Sohni, the daughter of a rich and evil man. And Jeevan, Gurdial's oldest friend, is swept up in the revolution and changing beyond all recognition. Bissen, Gurdial and Jeevan are looking to the future whilst trying to escape ghosts from the past. But as the fight for Amritsar reaches a terrifying climax, their lives will be changed forever. This is an epic story of love and life, war and death from multi-award-winning author Bali Rai. From Amazon UK





Solace of the Road by Siobhan DowdSolace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd (Sorry about image size)

Memories of Mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school and the way everyone is always on at her. Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. Wearing the long, flowing blonde locks she feels transformed. She's not Holly any more, she's Solace: the girl with the slinkster walk and the super-sharp talk. She's older, more confident - the kind of girl who can walk right out of her humdrum life, hitch to Ireland and find her mum. The kind of girl who can face the world head on. So begins a bittersweet, and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through memory, discovering her true self, and unlocking the secrets of her past. Holly's story will leave a lasting impression on all who travel with her. From Amazon UK




The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (No image available yet)

Max Carver's father - a watchmaker and inventor - decides to move his family to a small town on the coast, to an old house that once belonged to a prestigious surgeon, Dr Richard Fleischmann. But the house holds many secrets and stories of its own. Behind it is an overgrown garden full of statues surrounded by a metal fence topped with a six-pointed star. When he goes to investigate, Max finds that the statues seem to consist of a kind of circus troop with the large statue of a clown at its centre. Max has the curious sensation that the statue is beckoning to him. As the family settles in they grow increasingly uneasy: they discover a box of old films belonging to the Fleischmanns; his sister has disturbing dreams and his other sister hears voices whispering to her from an old wardrobe. They also discover the wreck of a boat that sank many years ago in a terrible storm. Everyone on board perished except for one man - an engineer who built the lighthouse at the end of the beach. During the dive, Max sees something that leaves him cold - on the old mast floats a tattered flag with the symbol of the six-pointed star. As they learn more about the wreck, the chilling story of the Prince of the Mists begins to emerge. From Amazon UK


Bought:


Wolf Brother by Michelle PaverWolf Brother by Michelle Paver - on recommendation from Ryan from Empire of Books

Thousands of years ago the land is one dark forest. Its people are hunter-gatherers. They know every tree and herb and they know how to survive in a time of enchantment and powerful magic. Until an ambitious and malevolent force conjures a demon: a demon so evil that it can be contained only in the body of a ferocious bear that will slay everything it sees, a demon determined to destroy the world. Only one boy can stop it - 12 year old Torak, who has seen his father murdered by the bear. With his dying breath, Torak's father tells his son of the burden that is his. He must lead the bear to the mountain of the World Spirit and beg that spirit's help to overcome it. Torak is an unwilling hero. He is scared and trusts no one. His only companion is a wolf cub only three moons old, whom he seems to understand better than any human. Theirs is a terrifying quest in a world of wolves, tree spirits and Hidden People, a world in which trusting a friend means risking your life. From Amazon UK



Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-FattahDoes My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full-time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else.
Can she handle the taunts of "towel head," the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school? Brilliantly funny and poignant, Randa Abdel-Fattah's debut novel will strike a chord in all teenage readers, no matter what their beliefs.
From Amazon US


Pretty good week!

24 comments:

  1. Great books this week! I'm currently reading City of Ghosts and it's brilliant! Hope you enjoy them :)

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  2. Thanks! City of Ghosts looks really good, I'm looking forward to it.

    I made a mistake though; I bought Wolf Brother today, and then get told when I got home that we already have it, I've just not read it yet. D'oh!

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  3. I'm especially looking forward to the Zafon.

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  4. :D Hope you enjoy Wolf Brother! :)

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  5. I love Randa Abdel-Fattah's books and I really hope you enjoy it. I also hope you enjoy all those other great books!

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  6. Karen - Yeah, it looks amazing, doesn't it? I can't wait to read it! :D

    Ryan - Thanks! Though I found out I already have it - in my Dad's room. Mum bought it for me years ago, but I didn't like the sound of it (apparently), so I didn't need to get it! 8-) Waist of money!

    Luisa - Thank you! It looks really good, and I've seen it about the blogosphere so I thought I'd give it a go! I look forward to them all! :)

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  7. Interesting books you got this week. Hope you enjoy reading all your books.

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  8. Thank you! I'm looking forward to them all! :)

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  9. I love Does My Head Look Big in This! So cute and gleeful. And City of Ghosts sounds fascinating. I'll have to keep that title in mind.

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  10. Ohh, it's great to hear, again, a thumbs up for Does My Head...! City of Ghosts sounds really intriguing! I'm looking forward to them both! :)

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  11. Those are some intriguing covers for The Red Necklace and The Silver Blade. I haven't read them yet though. And oh, I loved Does My Head Look Big in This!!!!! Happy reading!

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  12. I liked The Red Necklace, but didn't like The Silver Blade nearly as much. The other books sound great- City of Ghosts in particular!

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  13. PO - Thank you! They're the new covers for the series. I'm really looking forward to them, they sound intriguing! And I've seen Does My Head around the blogosphere, so I thought I would give it a go. :)

    Aarti - Ohh, thanks for the tip. I'll just have to see :) I'm really looking forward to City of Ghosts, it looks really good!

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  14. Indeed that's a pretty good week! Got lots of great book there. I hope you enjoy all of them. :)

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  15. Wolf Brother is superb. A beautiully crafted series. Ryan has good taste!
    I have been meaning to pick up The Red Neckae for ages. I have it in the school library but it is always time that's the problem.

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  16. Awesome, I'm looking forward to Wolf Brother! The Red Necklace looks really intriguing! I am jealous of your school library, my school library didn have book as awesome as yours does!

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  17. Great selection of books this week - I can't wait to see your reviews for them all :o) I'm sure I'll be adding more to my wishlist when I do LOL

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  18. Thank you! I hope I end up writing some positive reviews for you! :)

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  19. Awesome books! I love these covers of The Red Necklace and Silver Blade so much better!

    Here's what I got this week: http://bookielaura.blogspot.com/2010/02/in-my-mailbox-2-28-10.html

    Have an awesome booktastic Monday! :D
    The Bookie Bunch

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  20. City of Ghosts is a sad and beautiful book. Hope you enjoy your new reads!

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  21. I haven't heard of most of these :) They look great though, and I hope you enjoy them!

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  22. A most impressive selection of books. You have alot of Horror books, like to be scared? I do think that many of the covers are quite lovely. Enjoy your books. Here's Mine.

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  23. Laura - They are real pretty covers, I agree! :) Cheers!

    Sophie - Thank you! Aww, you have me worried about City of Ghosts now, being that it's sad. I'm sure I'll love it though! I'm looking forward to it! :)

    Cindy - Cheers! I'm looking forward to them!

    Lori - Just one horror book that I can see, the rest are all fantasies as far as I'm aware. I'm not great with horrors to be honest, I'm a bit of a wimp, but Savannah Grey sounds amazing! Cheers!

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